When the World Came to Knoxville

When the World Came to Knoxville: China

By Ernie Freeberg,

Published May 27, 2022 at 5:56 PM EDT

In our second episode, UT History professor Ernie Freeberg speaks with UT historian Dr. Shellen Wu, a specialist in modern Chinese history. She helps us understand the origin and legacy of the fair’s most popular exhibit, the pavilion hosted by the People’s Republic of China. Promoters of the fair liked to claim that history was being made in Tennessee—and in the case of the China pavilion, they delivered on that promise.

When the World Came to Knoxville

Ernie Freeberg

Ernest Freeberg is an American historian in 19th and 20th-century American culture, currently a Distinguished Humanities Professor and Departmental Chair of History at the University of Tennessee.

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Todd Steed

A Knoxville native, Todd began working at WUOT in 2006 as jazz coordinator and is currently serving at Interim Director. Todd also serves as music director and host of Studio 865/Flipside, Improvisations and Changing Course. Todd's newest podcast isImprovisations to Go. Todd got his start in radio at WUTK, where he served as both news and music director while earning his undergraduate degree in journalism at UT. He later earned a master’s degree in education, also at UT. Recently, Todd was inducted into the East Tennessee Writer's Hall of Fame.

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